Ground staff at Whitehaven RLFC have paid their own tribute to the hard-working staff of the NHS.

The letters NHS have been cut into the turf at the Recreation Ground, where for the immediate future there will be no rugby league games played.

Haven chairman Tom Todd said it was just a small gesture to show the club’s support for staff working tirelessly against the coronavirus. “I think it was the brainchild of our head groundsman Tony Johnstone and I think it looks lovely,” said Mr Todd.

“Sometimes you feel like you can’t do a lot to help but little things like this are just a symbol to say to NHS staff that we are thinking of them.”

Rugby league, like all sports, is at a standstill while the lockdown is in place in the country and Mr Todd said it was difficult to envisage how seasons could be resumed when things begin to return to normal.

“Ralph Rimmer and everyone at the RFL have been brilliant, working their socks off to come up with future scenarios,” added Todd.

“But each week that this goes on, the scenarios obviously have to change and we don’t know when and how we will come out of it.

“Obviously we will wait like everyone else to see what the government says, and as we drip feed back to normal it is a case of how and where we can start again.

“But I do think it will be difficult to fit this season in before the end of the year.”

This was Haven’s first season back up in the Championship before it was cut short by measures brought in to contain Covid-19.